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Bebe's Kids
| narrator = Faizon Love | starring = Faizon Love Vanessa Bell Calloway Marques Houston Jonell Green Tone Lōc Wayne Collins, Jr. Myra J. Nell Carter | music = John Barnes | editing = Tim Ryder Lynne Southerland | studio = Hyperion Pictures Collingswood O' Hare Entertainment Character Builders Wang Film Productions | distributor = Paramount Pictures | released = | runtime = 72 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = $8.4 million }} Bébé's Kids is a 1992 American animated comedy film produced by Reginald Hudlin and Hyperion Pictures & directed by Bruce W. Smith. It was released on July 31, 1992 by Paramount Pictures. The film is based upon late comedian Robin Harris's stand-up comedy act. It features the voices of Faizon Love (in his film debut), Vanessa Bell Calloway, Marques Houston, Nell Carter and Tone Lōc. Plot The film is based on a stand-up routine of Robin Harris that is shown in a brief live-action segment at the beginning of the film. The story of the film begins with an animated version of Harris woefully recounting his troubles to a blind bartender. He traces his problems all the way back to Jamika, an attractive woman he met at a funeral. Outside the premises, Robin approaches Jamika and asks her out. Jamika picks up her mild-mannered son, Leon from the babysitter and invites Robin to come along with her to an amusement park named Fun World, to which Robin agrees. The next day, Jamika introduces Robin to the children of her friend Bébé: Khalil, LaShawn and Pee-Wee. The group travels to Fun World, but they are confronted by security before they can enter and are warned that they are being watched. Upon entering the park, the kids are set loose and promptly wreak havoc. Robin's disastrous outing is further disrupted by a chance encounter with his obnoxious ex-wife, Dorthea. After going on a couple of rides with the kids, Robin and Jamika let the kids go off on their own again as they attempt to enjoy a ride through the Tunnel of Love where Jamika commends Robin for his endurance. While Robin and Jamika spend time together on their own, Leon tries to fit in with Bébé's Kids, but is unsuccessful. The kids then resume their trouble until they are caught by security. However, they escape from the security's trap and convince a bunch of other kids to spread the chaos. Meanwhile, Dorthea and her food-loving friend, Vivian attempt to sabotage the growing relationship between Robin and Jamika, but they are thwarted by Robin's mother insults. Elsewhere, in an abandoned building, Leon and Bébé's Kids are captured by robot versions of the Terminator, Abraham Lincoln, a bear and Richard Nixon & are put on trial. The "Terminator" acts as the judge who decides whether the kids are worth sending to the electric chair while "Lincoln" acts as the kids' defense attorney and "Nixon" as the prosecutor. The kids win their freedom through the power of rap, then celebrate their victory by stealing a pirate ship and crashing it into an ocean liner. Robin and Jamika finally leave Fun World with the kids as the park begins to fall apart. When a cop drives by, Robin tries to get the cop's attention; the cop flees after yelling, "Uh oh, those are Bébé's Kids!" (a line spoken by several other characters). Robin drops Bébé's Kids off at their apartment, where he sees just how lonely their life really is. Bébé still has not returned home and left a note asking Jamika to feed the kids. Back at the bar, Robin has a change of heart and goes back to the kids to hang out with them longer. Later, they go to Las Vegas, where Bébé's Kids are recognized, and everyone runs away screaming. Pee-Wee pulls a plug that lights the entire city causing a blackout. Background Original Stand-Up Version In the original act, Robin's prospective girlfriend asks him to take her and her son to Disneyland, but when he agrees she shows up with four kids. As it turns out, Bébé's kids are extremely rambunctious, misbehaved, ill-tempered, and flat-out bad. They terrorize park staff, cut off Donald Duck's feet, try to steal Robin's 8-track/radio while he's listening to it and make a general menace of themselves. Their reputation is so bad that even the police refuse to mess with them. In the second act, the kids and his girlfriend pick up Robin from a bar and make him take them to Las Vegas. Pee-Wee picks up a power cord and the power goes out. Animated Film Version The film made a few changes to the original story, reducing the number of Bébé's kids from four to three (with the fourth depicted as Jamika's son instead) and moving the location from Disneyland to a generic amusement park named "Fun World," which is completely demolished by the kids' antics. Also, the film was heavily toned down in content to make it more appropriate for family viewing. Cast *Robin Harris as himself (Stand-up segment at the beginning) Voice cast *Faizon Love as Robin Harris *Vanessa Bell Calloway as Jamika *Marques Houston as Kahlil *Jonell Green as LaShawn *Tone Lōc as Pee-Wee *Wayne Collins, Jr. as Leon *Myra J. as Dorthea *Nell Carter as Vivian *Phillip Glasser as Winthrop "Opie" *Louie Anderson as Security Guard #1 *Tom Everett as Security Guard #2 *Rich Little as President Nixon *John Witherspoon as Card Player #1 *George Wallace as Card Player #4 Soundtrack The soundtrack to "Bebe's Kids" was released on August 25, 1992 on Capitol Records. #"Down Home Blues" – Z Z Hill #"Tear It Up (On Our Worst Behavior)" – Immature #"I Got It Bad, Y´All" – King Tee #"I Got the 411" – Urban Prop #"It Takes Two to Make a Party" – Maxi Priest featuring Little Shawn #"66 Mello" – New Version of Soul #"Oh No!" – Arrested Development #"Straight Jackin'" – Bebe's Kids feat. Tone Loc #"Freedom Song" – Bebe's Kids feat. Tone Loc #"I Ain't Havin' It" – Faizon Love #"Standing on the Rock of Love" – Aretha Franklin #"Your Love Keeps Working on Me" – Joey Diggs #"Can´t Say Goodbye" – The O'Jays #"Deeper" – Ronald Isley #"All My Love" – Phil Perry featuring Renée Diggs #"I Want to Thank You for Your Love" – The Emotions Reception Box Office "Bébé's Kids" debuted at #7 at the box office (behind films Death Becomes Her, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Mo' Money, A League of Their Own, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sister Act). During its opening weekend, it grossed $3,010,987. From an unknown (but most likely small budget), the film earned a total $8,442,162 in North America. Critical Reception The film received generally negative reviews from critics, but it was well received by audiences and it currently holds a 25 percent "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Theatrical Trailer Category:1992 films Category:1992 animated films Category:1990s animated films Category:English-language films Category:Paramount Pictures films Category:Films distributed by Paramount Pictures Category:Paramount Pictures animated films Category:1990s films Category:Rated PG-13 movies Category:Music Score films Category:1990s American animated films